Prickly Pear Juice and Prickly Pear Syrup don't just taste great, but they can also be used to make all kinds of wonderful treats, including a prickly pear margarita, jelly, and salad dressings. This homemade prickly pear syrup recipe can be enjoyed drizzled over pancakes or to make prickly pear cocktails!
I still remember the first time I tried a prickly pear (also called tuna). It was many years ago, while Scott and I were dating. Growing up in Arizona, where nopal grows in abundance, Scott was excited to introduce this Chicago girl to this delicious fruit.
Scott picked the fruit off the cactus for me, all the while trying to avoid thousands of tiny needles.
Using his pocket knife, Scott peeled the burgundy, needle-covered skin back and sliced the flesh of the prickly pear for me to taste. I was amazed at how good it tasted and wanted more!
Since then, I always get excited when I see an Opuntia cactus (nopal in Spanish) loaded with fruit. Besides Arizona and California, this amazing plant also grows in New Mexico, Montana, and Australia!
Here's a video to show you how to pick them safely. If you don't want to brave the needles, I get it. You can also find needle-free prickly pears in many ethnic markets.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Prickly pear juice is healthy and delicious. It can be enjoyed over ice or mixed with your favorite spirits to make some amazing cocktails!
- Prickly pear cactus syrup has so many uses! Drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, and ice cream, or use it to make prickly pear shakes, prickly pear lemonade, and margaritas!
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Prickly Pears: You'll need ripe prickly pear cactus fruit.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Citric Acid: To adjust the acidity, we're adding citric acid. If you don't have citric acid, you can use a few teaspoons of lemon juice.
🌵How to Make Prickly Pear Juice & Syrup
Prickly Pear Juice
Step 1: Slice or chop the fruit of the prickly pear cactus into sections and add to a medium-sized pot or saucepan.
Step 2: Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer, over medium heat, for 20 minutes. Mash the fruit to release its juice using a potato masher.
Pro Tip: A hand-held immersion blender works even better!
Step 3: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a medium-sized bowl.
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Pro Tip: Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the strainer, where the pulp collects.
Step 4: Stir citric acid into the strained juice. This not only enhances the flavor but also aids in preserving the juice. You can use lemon juice if you need to.
Step 5: Mix with your favorite sweetener, and serve over ice. I dilute the juice with water, Lacroix, or clear soda.
Prickly Pear Simple Syrup
- Measure the strained juice before adding it to a clean saucepan. It should be approximately 1⅓ cups.
- Add an equal volume of sugar and pour over the juice.
- Stir prickly pear syrup over medium heat until it begins to boil. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Pour prickly pear syrup into sterilized jars and process in hot water for 10 minutes, if storing for any length of time.
- Otherwise, store in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The flesh of the fruit can be eaten raw or used to make prickly pear juice and prickly pear syrup. One drawback to eating them raw is that their flesh is riddled with hard seeds. This is why juicing the fruit is the preferred method of enjoying the taste and benefits of prickly pear fruit.
I've heard people describe the flavor of prickly pears as similar to watermelon, bubble gum, cotton candy, pear, pineapple, and cucumber. I think the flavor is unique and hard to compare to anything else.
Although more research is needed, prickly pears show a lot of promise when it comes to health. I found these facts on WebMD.
Diabetes—Prickly pear consumption can reduce blood sugar levels by up to 48% in some people.
High cholesterol—When consumed regularly, prickly pears can reduce total and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.
Enlarged Prostate—A powder made from dried and ground prickly pear cactus flowers may reduce symptoms related to an enlarged prostate.
Hangovers—Taking prickly pear extract before you drink alcohol can reduce some, but not all, hangover-related symptoms.
In some people, prickly pear cactus can cause some minor side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, increased amount and frequency of stool, bloating, and headache. In rare cases, eating large amounts of prickly pear cactus fruits can cause a blockage in the lower intestines. WebMd.com
Prickly pears can be used to make vinaigrettes, added to desserts, or used to make lemonade, cocktails, and prickly pear shakes!
How to Peel Prickly Pears
Step 1: If using foraged prickly pears, use a pair of tongs to hold the fruit, then quickly rotate over an open flame to burn off the almost invisible needles.
Step 2: Slice off both ends of the fruit and carve out the "crown," which is loaded with needles. Next, make a vertical slit through the skin.
Step 3: Carefully remove the skin from the prickly pear. You can either peel it off in one section or make several cuts and peel the skin down, as pictured.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- You can find prickly pear fruit in some ethnic grocery stores.
- I recommend wearing thick gardening gloves or using tongs to harvest and work with prickly pears because the thorns of the prickly pears can be very painful when handled.
- Start with a small amount of prickly pear syrup and juice and see how your body reacts to it before enjoying more.
- This prickly pear syrup lasts a year or longer when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Another option is to freeze some in small ziplock bags for longer storage!
🫐 More Syrup Recipes
If you enjoy this prickly pear syrup recipe, check out these other delicious syrup recipes!
📖 Recipe
Prickly Pear Juice and Syrup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice or chop the fruit of the prickly pear cactus into sections and add to a medium-sized pot or saucepan.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer, over medium heat, for 20 minutes. Mash the fruit to release their juice using a potato masher.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a medium-sized bowl.
- Stir citric acid into the strained juice. This not only enhances the flavor but also aids in preserving the juice. You can use lemon juice if you need to.
- Mix with your favorite sweetener, and serve over ice. I dilute the juice with water, Lacroix, or clear soda.
- Measure the strained juice before adding to a clean saucepan. It should be approximately 1⅓ cups.
- Add an equal amount of sugar and pour over the juice.
- Stir over medium heat until it begins to boil. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Pour into sterilized jars and process in hot water for 10 minutes, if storing for any length of time.
- Otherwise, store in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
Notes
- You can find prickly pear fruit at some ethnic markets.
- I recommend wearing thick gardening gloves or using tongs when harvesting and working with prickly pears.
- Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the strainer, where the pulp collects.
- Some people like to drink the juice without diluting it; however, until you know how your body reacts to prickly pears, I recommend trying it in smaller amounts.
Michele says
I made and canned the syrup but noticed when I opened the jar there was a little brown liquid on the flat lid. It smells like the cactus juice and the jar was sealed is this normal? It looks like when the run off when I let my aloe sit overnight
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Michelle, I would say that it's normal, only because I STILL have an open jar of this syrup in my fridge from when I made this post. It's like it's impossible to spoil... but I can't explain why!
Michele says
Thanks Hilda for responding, I also reached out to my canning ladies and they said it's oxidation and normal😊 Your recipe is so good thank you for posting ❤️
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Michelle, enjoy!!
R.K. Hdz says
Does the syrup need to be refrigerated?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi,
Yes, it should be refrigerated, unless you pressure can it.
Candace says
Growing up my mom picked 5 gallon pails of baby cucumbers to make pickles. They were a bugger to wash because they had ting black prickles that had to be scrubbed off. I know you are thinking what does this have to do with prickly pear berries, right? Well she would load up the washing machine with the bucket of cucumber and wash on gentle cycle for 5-10 minutes. The other day I attempted the same method with the two gallons of Prickly pear berries I picked. I only agitated for maybe two -three minutes, reached in tested a few berries, and yes the tiny mean thorns were GONE! I hit drain and I was ready for juice making! Thanks for your recipe!
Hilda Sterner says
That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! And, you're welcome!